Vision Over Tech
I work in metaphor, using one thing to explain another. I combine you (being you) with light to make a portrait. The portrait goes where you can’t, and tells your story.
Light is full of that duality. It’s particle and wave, real stuff and dream-stuff. My whole life, from poems to books cabinets to photographs, I’ve made art out of dream-stuff.
All of this is why I have beef with AI.
Not with AI itself, with how it’s used. It can’t dream (or think), so it has no access to dream-stuff. It’s no good as an artist, though it can be a fantastic tool. But even a super-duper-future hammer will never be a house, much less a home. For that, you need a soul.
But headshot generators are cheap and easy! Give it a few pictures and pull the lever. It’ll totally get your eyes when you’re missing your grandma. It’s better than you at being you. You sort the 150, send your favorite to your friend the Photoshop wiz, to fix your hair. A few weeks later you post it, and maybe your coworkers or that hiring manager or the cutie on Hinge says, “You look great!”
Then a few seconds later they say, “Oh wait, it’s AI.”
Analog Soul
The more vulnerable you are, the more powerful your story. AI denies us the making, the opening ourselves to the terrifying rewards of connection. Your headshot can’t do its job if you were never in it. It doesn’t tell your story.
When I decided to open this business, I spent months in my studio, shooting myself. I sweated it, literally. Dreamed about it. I wanted to remind myself of the risks I ask of my clients. The pictures are digital, but the the person is analog.
What makes this different? Us. I guide you through the process. I act as your mirror, coaching you to feel your best, so you look your best. We find and follow your best angles, light and pose you to flatter your skin, and tell the story we developed. That story is essentially you on your best possible day.
I do retouch, and I keep it light. You won’t be punished for a zit or misbehaving beard hair. The picture should look like you simply look that good. Most of the time it’s just easier to get it right in-camera.
And it means more that way. Our thoughts and dreams—our point of view—are what make us interesting. Looking good is fine. But nowadays, everyone looks good. Even AI can make you look “good.”
To stand out, you have to look interesting. For that, you need a photographer.